WHEREAS Black History Month recognizes the contributions that People of African and Caribbean descent have made to Canada, shaping its identity; and
WHEREAS Black History Month was first recognized in Ontario in February 1993, marking the 200th anniversary of the passage of legislation prohibiting the importation of slaves into Upper Canada; and
WHEREAS 2022 marks the 26th year of the national recognition of February as Black History Month in Canada; and
WHEREAS the United Nations proclaimed 2015-2024 the Decade for people of African Descent, an important step in the international community recognizing that people of African Descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected; and
WHEREAS Black History Month seeks to level the imbalance in historical perspective and has become an important part of multicultural and anti-racism programs; and
WHEREAS Canadians know that slavery once existed in Canada, or that many of the British Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution were Black, or that our Black History is part of Canadian History; and
WHEREAS Black History Month is a call to each and every citizen of our great land to inform themselves and to reflect on the cultural, scientific, political, and economic contributions of Black people to the development of Canada and the world; and
WHEREAS This year’s theme, “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History Today and Every Day,” a call to action for us all to build on the legacy of those who came before us, and to recognize the transformative work that Black Canadians and their communities are doing now; and
NOW THEREFORE I, Doug Lawrance, Mayor of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout, do hereby proclaim the month of February 2022 as “Black History Month” and do commend its thoughtful observance in the Municipality of Sioux Lookout.
Doug Lawrance, Mayor
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